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Biopharmaceuticals are a very important part of the therapeutic options in many diseases. They are made by, or derived from, living organisms using biotechnology. But they are also very expensive drugs. Biosimilars are the generally cheaper versions of existing biopharmaceuticals that are made after the market exclusivity rights of the original biopharmaceutical has expired. They are properly licensed, with proven comparable quality, efficacy and safety.

Biosimilars

The End of a Cell 


Apoptosis, the programmed suicide of a cell. This image is created from what we know the process of apoptosis entails.

When apoptosis occurs proteins called caspases are triggered into action. They break down the cellular components needed for survival, and they induce the production of enzymes known as DNases, which destroy the DNA in the nucleus (centre) of the cell. The cell shrinks sending out distress signals to macrophages. The macrophages get rid of the shrunken cells.



Sometimes the bodies signals go array and the wrong cells kill themselves and those which should die don't. Increased apoptosis is characteristic of diseases such as AIDS and parkinsons whereas decreased apoptosis is linked to cancer.



Cellular level art, paint on silk, digitised.

Apoptosis

Biopharmaceuticals are a very important part of the therapeutic options in many diseases. They are made by, or derived from, living organisms using biotechnology. But they are also very expensive drugs. Biosimilar are the generally cheaper versions of existing biopharmaceuticals that are made after the market exclusivity rights of the original biopharmaceutical has expired. They are properly licensed, with proven comparable quality, efficacy and safety.

Within the round pink window, the purple coloured molecule near the top is the originator. The orange background molecule just below is the first biosimilar. The other orange one is the second biosimilar. The other purple background molecule lower down is also the originator, after a manufacture change was implemented.

Biopharmaceuticals are a very important part of the therapeutic options in many diseases. They are made by, or derived from, living organisms using biotechnology. But they are also very expensive drugs. Biosimilar are the generally cheaper versions of existing biopharmaceuticals that are made after the market exclusivity rights of the original biopharmaceutical has expired. They are properly licensed, with proven comparable quality, efficacy and safety.

The therapeutic window is not identical in all of us. The average therapeutic window is represented by the overlapping of many windows. The green coloured molecule near the top of the average window is the originator. The red background molecule is the first biosimilar. The other red one is the second biosimilar. The other green background molecule lower down is also the originator, after a manufacture change was implemented.

What we commonly refer to today as Mitochondria German pathologist and histologist Richard Altmann in 1890 termed “bioblasts” (life germs), he believed they were autonomous elementary organisms responsible for metabolic and genetic functions.

Cellular level art, paint on silk, digitised.

Bioblasts

The ovum or egg cell is the female reproductive cell (gamete). When egg and sperm fuse, a diploid cell (the zygote) is formed, which gradually grows into a new organism.

Cellular level art, paint on silk, digitised.

Ovum

First reported in 1700, Volvox is a type of green algae within in the family Volvocaceae. It is spherical in shape and lives in a variety of freshwater habitats.

Cellular level art, paint on silk, digitised.

Volvox

Various vessels of the human body 

Here the muscular wall of the artery is surrounded by a rich adventitia (outermost wall).

The vein and the lymphatic drainage systemand the nerves complete the picture.

Cellular level art, paint on silk, digitised.

Vessels

Cellular level art, paint on silk, digitised.

Retina

A lichen arises from the composition of algae, cyanobacteria and fungus. They occur in many colors, sizes, and forms and in many locations.


Cellular level art, paint on silk, digitised.

Pink lichen

Cardiac muscle with muscle mitochondria.

Cardiac muscle forms the thicker layer of our pulsing hearts. It contracts and relaxes, contracts and relaxes many times a minute, every minute of our lives. With many mitochondria, packed between the fibres, to provide the energy required for such a dedicated task.

Cellular level art, paint on silk, digitised.

Cardiac Muscle

Albert Lehninger was an American biochemist in the field of bioenergetics. He made fundamental contributions to the current understanding of metabolism and mitochondria. His most notable texts are in his series Principles of Biochemistry. 

The image interprets the cell studies of Lehninger at his time of practice.

Cellular level art, paint on silk, digitised.

Lehninger Preparations

A ghost cell is similar to a normal tissue cell but it doesn't have a nucleus. 

The artist has made and interpretation of the ghost cells creating a cell made visible by the outline of its mitochondrial network. Cellular membranes that are there, but not there, assumed by the viewer. The light or dark coming from the centre depicts a not-there nucleus.

Cellular level art, paint on silk, digitised.

Ghost cells

Green lichen

Large oocyte

‘The beginning of a self’ 


Inside the ovary is an immature ovum or oocyte (egg cell). The oocyte is a cell in an ovary which may undergo meiotic division to form an ovum.

Cellular level art, paint on silk, digitised.

Future element

Adipose tissue or Adipocytes, also known as lipocytes and fat cells are the main cells forming fat tissue.

Cellular level art, paint on silk, digitised.

Adipose Tissue

The level of energy of different cells varies. The mitochondria, responsible for the energy production have in this picture two different energy states, represented by gold and silver.


Cellular level art, paint on silk, digitised.

Networking energies

Large oocyte

‘The beginning of a self’ 


Inside the ovary is an immature ovum or oocyte (egg cell). The oocyte is a cell in an ovary which may undergo meiotic division to form an ovum.

This oocyte is frozen.

Cellular level art, paint on silk, digitised.

The endothelial reticulum or Reticuloendothelial system is a network of cells and tissues found throughout the body. Here mitochondria also (pink bean-like structure) feature with the cell nucleus (black) and the endoplasmic reticulum (blue) also within the image.

Cellular level art, paint on silk, digitised.

Endothelium Reticulum

The Golgi, Golgi apparatus or Golgi complex is found in most cells. It is a packaging organelle and was named after Camillo Golgi, an Italian biologist. 


The Golgi complex gathers simple molecules and combines them to make complex molecules, then taking those complex molecules to vesicles. Once the complex cell has been delivered to the vesicle it may be stored there or sent out of the cell.

The golgi and its neigbouring vesicles are the orange and greenish/blue structures within the image with the vacuoles (spheres) and endoplasmic reticulum in blue and the mitochondria at the bottom right of the image.

Cellular level art, paint on silk, digitised.

Glorious Golgi

A moment in time inside a eukaryotic cell. Complex and beautiful, full of action and life. The fluidity of the cytoplasm, the different levels of activity of mitochondria and the communication between endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondria are the highlights of this image.

Cellular level art, paint on silk, digitised.

Cellular Space

This image shows a spinach leaf, with curly mitochondria and chloroplasts.

Chloroplasts are found in the cells of plants that conduct photosynthesis. They absorb sunlight and use it along with water and carbon dioxide gas (CO2) to produce food for the plant.


Mitochondria generate the energy that cells need to function. The energy made by the mitochondria is in the form of a chemical called adenosine triphosphate or ATP.


Cellular level art, paint on silk, digitised.

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Bioblasts

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Ovum

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Pink lichen

Cardiac Muscle

Lehninger Preparations

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Future element

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Power Plant

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